Biochemistry Feb 29, 2024

Scientists reveal how first cells could have formed on Earth

Roughly 4 billion years ago, Earth was developing conditions suitable for life. Origin-of-life scientists often wonder if the type of chemistry found on the early Earth was similar to what life requires today. They know that ...

Agriculture Mar 5, 2024

Study looks at challenges facing global food production data

To understand the food production resources necessary to help feed a growing global population, accurate and up-to-date data, such as crop, livestock, aquaculture and fisheries statistics, are crucial for the implementation ...

Superconductivity Mar 4, 2024

Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusion

In the predawn hours of Sept. 5, 2021, engineers achieved a major milestone in the labs of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), when a new type of magnet, made from high-temperature superconducting material, achieved ...

Earth Sciences Mar 4, 2024

Hidden 'star' sand dune mystery solved by ancient find

Scientists have solved the mysterious absence of star-shaped dunes from Earth's geological history for the first time, dating one back thousands of years.

Astronomy Feb 22, 2024

Astronomers observe the effect of dark matter on the evolution of the galaxies

Dark matter comprises around 85% of all the matter in the universe. Although ordinary matter absorbs, reflects and emits light, dark matter cannot be seen directly, which makes its detection difficult. Its existence is inferred ...

Evolution Mar 3, 2024

Losing their tails provided our ape ancestors with an evolutionary advantage, but we're still paying the price

Put the word "evolution" into Google images and the results are largely variations on one theme: Ralph Zallinger's illustration, March of Progress. Running left to right, we see a chimp-like knuckle walker gradually becoming ...

Astronomy Mar 1, 2024

High-resolution simulations provide new insights into how galaxies are formed

Astronomers can use supercomputers to simulate the formation of galaxies from the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago to the present day. But there are a number of sources of error. An international research team, led by researchers ...

Plants & Animals Feb 29, 2024

Research finds that neutering Rottweilers may affect their lifespan

Owners of a popular dog breed are being encouraged to keep their pet pooch in tip-top condition after a James Cook University study found that Rottweilers could suffer from reduced lifespan after being neutered.

Archaeology Feb 28, 2024

Genetic study suggests a Stone Age strategy for avoiding inbreeding

Blood relations and kinship were not all-important for the way hunter-gatherer communities lived during the Stone Age in Western Europe. A new genetic study, conducted at several well-known French Stone Age burial sites, ...

Planetary Sciences Mar 4, 2024

From 'Tatooine' to reality: How exoplanet research has translated to science fiction

An astronomy lesson on binary stars could begin with a series of complex diagrams and data or with a clip from the movie Star Wars where Luke Skywalker looks up at the sky of his home planet, Tatooine, and sees two suns shining. ...

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